The Fresnel Lens

A LIGHTHOUSE BLOG

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Coquille River Light, Bandon, Oregon

This beautiful light on Oregon's southern coast was the last government lighthouse built in the state and once sat abandoned for decades.

Whaleback Light, Kittery, Maine

The current lighthouse was built in 1872. It shared the rocky shoal with the previous tower for 8 years, before the 1829 tower was removed.

Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Portland Head Light is 1 of 4 colonial lighthouses commissioned by George Washington still standing with its original tower.

Mulholland Point Light, Campobello Island, New Brunswick

Mulholland Point Light is part of Roosevelt Campobello International Park, the only joint national park shared between the US and Canada.

Sandy Point Light, Prudence Island, Rhode Island

The lighthouse has the distinction of being the oldest surviving lighthouse in RI and has been an active lighthouse in 2 locations.

Pea Point Island Light, Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick

Pea Point was one of two lights built at the entrance to Letang Harbour. Pea Point marks the eastern side and Bliss Island marks the west.

Heceta Head Lighthouse, Florence, Oregon

The original 5-wick oil lamp equaled 800,000 candle power and was rotated by a 200-pound weight that slowly dropped down a 35-foot cable.

Goat Island Light, Newport, Rhode Island

Goat Island had been part of Newport and the United States' military history for 300 years by the time it was redeveloped for tourism.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Tremont, Maine

Bass Harbor Light is located in Tremont, Maine. You may not know where Tremont is, but you've almost certainly heard of Mount Desert...

Sankaty Head Light, Nantucket, Massachusetts

Sankaty Head Light began its service on Feb 1, 1850 and was lit by a Second Order French Fresnel lens illuminated by a whale oil lamp.

Brier Island Lighthouse, Westport, Nova Scotia

Brier Island Lighthouse, also called Western Light, is located at the western-most point of Nova Scotia.

Castle Hill Light, Newport, Rhode Island

It seems appropriate to start this journey on National Lighthouse Day, which commemorates August 7, 1789 when Congress approved an Act to...

Why Lighthouses?

What is it about lighthouses that makes them so magnetizing? They seem like such a simple structure with a simple purpose, and yet they...

Welcome

Welcome to my lighthouse blog! Thanks for joining me on my deep dive into the history and stories behind these amazing architectural treasures.